It is sometimes desired in the rail industry to connect an electrical conductor (e.g., a wire or cable) to a section of railroad track or other conductive guideway over which a rail vehicle travels (referred to generally herein as a “track member”). This might be for purposes of electrically connecting two track members together, or for electrically connecting a track member to a wayside device, such as a track circuit device that transmits and/or receives electrical signals over the track member.
In one method for connecting a conductor to a track member, a hole is drilled through the track member for introducing the conductor. This method, however, is time consuming, requires special equipment, and may be detrimental to track member integrity. Other methods involve using an adhesive or welding to bond a conductor to a track member. These methods, however, require special equipment, specially trained personnel, special preparation of the attachment site, and the resulting bonds are subject to environmental degradation over time.